Review

Review Summary: For those that can bring themselves to listen to anything post - nineteen eighty five, it is clear that these veterans are on top of their game.

Extreme metal royalty in their own right, the twenty five year and counting career of Napalm Death has been astonishingly consistent. With such genre defining releases as 'Scum' and 'Fear, Emptiness, Despair' shaping what we will come to know as grindcore, the bands fearsome, blugeoning wall of noise sound may have remained unrelentingly vicious, yet it is mabye for this reason that it is easy to forget that the Birmingham quartet have always found room to embrace the leftfield. This is no more apparent than on the bands quite exceptional fifteenth effort 'Utilitarian'.

What is so remarkable here is how Napalm Death are continuing to redefine what can be perceived as 'extreme'. Of course, the album contains a glut of the trademark bile spitting intensity, such as the ravenous 'Errors In The Signals' and some skin flaying riff work of 'Quaranteen' or 'Orders Of Magnitude's punkish snarl. There is certainly no lack of the sonic violence that the band has always served up so vehemently, indeed at points they sound more irate than ever.

Yet, the inclusion of some undoubtedly head turning endeavors really do display a healthy willingness to avoid treading water. From atmospheric (although still wholly sinister) opener 'Circumspect', through to some sparring use of clean vocals on 'The Wolf I Feed', these new elements in the context of the bands craft come as a rather jarring eye opener, cleverly subverting any notions of extremity which we may have going into a Napalm Death record.

Special mention however must go the appearance of some shriekingly discordant saxophone on album highlight 'Everyday Pox'. Weaving its way shrilly over the relentless blasting, it is inharmonious, viseral, chaotic...and works flawlessly, evoking a stunning sense of hysteria that would have been nigh on impossible to achieve had the band not maintained such a keen eagarness to experiment.

'Utilitarian' ultimately proves what a momumental force Napalm Death continue to be today. Whilst many may dwell on the bands past glories, the fact remains that these pissed off Brummies continue to push boundaries and break rules when simultaniously remaining uncompromisingly savage and enduringly sincere. For those that can bring themselves to listen to anything post - nineteen eighty five, it is clear that these veterans are on top of their game.

Riff, the first Napalm demo was released in 1985, which was my point. Do your research. And as for everything else, you're just being fastidious because you dont agree with my opinion. Made me laugh though.

Damn, everybody says this slays, I should listen to the album stream asap.

Some corrections:

Extreme metal royalty in their own right, the twenty five year and counting career of Napalm Death has been astonishingly consistent

An extreme metal royalty in its own right, the twenty five year and counting career of Napalm Death has been astonishingly consistent

With such genre defining releases as 'Scum' and 'Fear, Emptiness, Despair' shaping what we will come to know as grindcore, the bands fearsome, blugeoning wall of noise sound may have remained unrelentingly vicious, yet it is mabye for this reason that it is easy to forget that the Birmingham quartet have always found room to embrace the leftfield

Tbliss, I would take a few pointers from Riff, as big a douche troll as he is. Fade knows his stuff.

'Fear, Emptiness, Despair' shaping what we will come to know as grindcore,

Fear, Emptiness, Despair was not part of the shaping of grindcore. By that point, they were more in tuned with taking grind in a different direction, mainly a more death metal direction. Grind had already been established at that point.

I know this is my opinion, but following ND for about 15 years now, I don't think this is anything groundbreaking, thus warranting a 4.5/ 5 is a little steep. They've done this same formula since Utopia Banished, mind you have done it better on some albums rather than others. I think you've given this album like 2 listens since it leaked a few days back, jumped all over the hype that they've been around for 25+ years and rushed a review out. Your writing style sums up the album well but I feel you're kind of a noob to Napalm Death. Have a pos' though for praising one of the most consistent bands on the face of this earth.

I respect what you are saying Wizard, but Ive been listening to Napalm for just as long as you and have had this album for well over a week (I write for a another website and was sent this). I've taken the album in with repeated listens, and this is what I think, no matter what people think of me as a result, as a noob or whatever. I think my point was more about how, even so long into their career, they are still continuing to switch things up and experiment with different elements. I do get your point about FED, mabye I should have stated the more deathgrind direction they were beginning to take. But its cool dude, thanks for the comment and the pos.